Blog for those who are interested in Czech genealogy, who have ancestors in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Occupation dictionary (updated)

There are tens of occupations mentioned in Czech registries. I have prepared a list of those most common occupations in four languages, Czech, German, Latin and English.

This is first version of the list. I'll add new occupations time to time to fill in possible gaps. The occupations mentioned there are those which are most common. If you are not able to find "your" occupation in the list, please let me know and I'll add it.

Czech

German

Latin

English

bednář

Binder

vietor

cooper

celoláník

Ganzlähner

rusticus

owner of one hide of land

chalupník

Chalupner

curticulus

small peasant, cottager

čeledín

Knecht

famulus

farm hand

čtvrtláník

Viertler

rusticus

owner of 1/4 hide of land

domkář

Häusler

casarius, gazarius

peasant cottager

gruntovník

Grundbesitzers

---

owner of farm, farmer

hrnčíř

Töpfer

fornator

potter

kolář

Wagner

rotarius

wheeler

kovář

Schmidt

faber

blacksmith

koželuh

Gerber

pellifex, coriarius

tanner

krejčí

Schneider

sartor

taylor

kupec

Kaufmann

mercator

merchant

láník

Lähner

rusticus

owner of one hide of land

měšťan

Bürger

civis

burgher

mistr

Meister

magister

master

mlynář

Müller

molitor

miller

mydlář

Seifensieder

saponarius

soap maker

nádeník

Taglöhner

operarius

day-labourer

ovčák

Schäfer

opilio

shepherd

pastýř

Hirt

opilio

shepherd

pekař

Bäcker

pistor

baker

písař

Schreiber

scriba

scribe, typist

podruh

Inmann

inquilinus

hind, farm-help

pololáník

Halblähner

semirusticus

owner of 1/2 hide of land

porodní bába

Hebamme

obstetrix

midwife

radní

Ratsherr

senator

councilman

rolník

Ackermann

incola

farmer

rybář

Fischer

piscator

fisherman

rychtář

Richter

judex, iudex

reeve

řezník

Fleischer

lanius

butcher

sedlák

Bauer

rusticus

farmer

sládek

Brauer

braxator

brewer

slouha

Knecht

famulus

servant

soukeník

Tuchmacher

textor

draper

soused*

Nachbar

---

neighbor

starosta

Bürgermeister

primator

mayor

svobodník

Freie

libertinus

personally free man

šafář

Schaffer

villicus

steward

šenkýř

Schänker

caupo

innkeeper

švec

Schuhmacher

sutor

shoemaker

tesař

Zimmermann

carpentarius

carpenter

tkadlec

Weber

textor

weaver

tovaryš

Gesell

famulus

journeyman

truhlář

Tischler

scrinarius, cantarius

cabinet-maker, joiner

učitel

Lehrer, Schullehrer

ludi magister

teacher

uhlíř

Köhler

carbonarius

coal-miner

úředník

Beamte

officialis

clerk

zahradník*

Gärtner, Gärtler

hortulanus

peasant

zedník

Maurer

murarius

bricklayer

*Soused - in villages; status similar to the burgher in town.

*Zahradník has two different meanings - peasant, who owned house with garden, was one meaning, gardener is another. If you see zahradník in registries, 99 percent of them are peasants, not gardeners.

21 comments:

Oh yes! Thank you Blanka! This should help me so much when I'm in the Brno archives (Moravia). That is turning out to be such a treasure trove of information for both sets of grandparents since they all were born in nearby villages in region of Hodonin. I also tried genteam.at as you suggested here, and it's very useful to locate village information. You're wonderfully helpful. (e.g. I have seen "domkar" so many times and didn't know what it referred to; thought it was something about "living in".

Brian, it's "gruntovnika". Gruntovnik is a owner of grunt, where "grunt" stands for any house with fields. It's common word which covers cottages, both large and small farms etc. I'll add it to the table above.

Obecní slouha - municipal servant; usually person who delivers messages, who is taking care for the town hall etc. Šafář - stewardPolosedlák - half-farmer; the one who owns half a land of usual farmer.

I'm trying to locate info about my G-Grandfather Jan Felix Samec. (aprox time frame 1900-1905)My Grandfather Frank Samec was a seminary student in Prague. He told his family that his father was a secretary to the czar. Is there a way to research the layers of government to see if Jan was employed there? I have just found your webpage. Thanks for any help. Ellen